Sopes

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Sopes are one of the most popular antojitos in Mexico. Crispy masa cakes are slathered with a layer of creamy refried beans, then topped with garnishes like fresh salsa, vegetables, avocado, queso, and so much more! Serve them with a cold agua fresca for a satisfying snack!

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Crispy: Each sope is golden and crispy on the outside yet soft and tender on the inside. Plus, it’s topped with fresh and crunchy vegetables and other toppings!
• Easy: All you have to do is press the dough, cook it, and add your favorite garnishes! You can even have a build-your-own sopes night with friends and family.
• Flavor-packed: There are so many flavors and textures in this recipe, from nutty corn tortillas, refreshing cashew crema, and creamy refried beans.
• Customizable: Fry your sopes or make them oil-free, switch up the vegetable toppings, or try different types of refried beans.  

If you love sopes, you should really check out our tlacoyos, corundas, huaraches, or pambazos.

🌽 What are sopes?

Sopes (pronounced soh-pehs) are a type of thick corn tortilla made from masa harina, water, and salt. This type of antojito is one of the most delicious snacks you can find across Mexico.

Each sope is gently flattened and heated on a comal, then characteristic ridges are formed by pinching around the edges. In general, sopes are topped with a layer of refried beans followed by proteins (like homemade chorizo or shredded chicken), fresh vegetables, and salsas.

We always love making sopes because they’re budget-friendly, quick to make, and incredibly easy to customize.

Sopes are similar to picaditas, panuchos, garnachas, sopitos, or memelas. The differences mainly come in the form of toppings, the size of the base, and the region they originate.

📜 History

Although they have no particular birth state, sopes come from the central and southern parts of Mexico. Each state calls them something slightly different — pellizcadas in Puebla, panuchos in the Yucatán, picadas in Veracruz, and memelas in Oaxaca.

Whatever you call them, the popularity of sopes has grown over the years, and you can now find them sold at restaurants and street vendors across the country. You can even buy premade bases for sopes at most grocery stores!

🌱 Are sopes vegan?

Some recipes are made to be vegetarian, but sopes are not typically vegan. However, they can easily be transformed into a plant-based version with these simple swaps:

• Beans: If you’re using store-bought, be careful to read the ingredients as some refried beans are made with lard.
• Meat: Replace shredded chicken or beef with just beans, shredded jackfruit, or vegan chicken.
• Cheese: Instead of dairy-based queso fresco, use a dairy-free variety like vegan queso fresco or vegan cotija.

It couldn’t be easier to make the above changes, and it really doesn’t affect the overall texture and flavor.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Masa harina: For this sopes recipe, we used white masa harina. You can use yellow, blue, or even pink varieties though.
• Refried beans: You’d be hard-pressed to find many Mexican sopes without homemade refried beans on the bottom layer. To save time, you can also use store-bought refried pinto or black beans.
• Sauces: The sauces are very customizable, but we really enjoy dairy-free Mexican crema, salsa fresca, salsa roja, salsa verde, and avocado cream sauce.
• Cheese: We usually crumble homemade queso fresco or cotija on top, but you can use store-bought vegan feta or parmesan too.
• Extras: Tomatoes, shredded lettuce, pickled onions, pickled jalapeños, avocados, cilantro, and radishes all make tasty toppings.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make sopes

Step 1: Mix the dough

Mix the masa harina, salt, and water to form a dough just as you would for making corn tortillas.

Step 2: Knead the dough

Knead the dough to form a ball that’s sticky enough to stay together, but not sticking to your hands too much. Keep mixing and pressing with your palm for a few minutes.

Step 3: Roll the masa

Break off pieces of dough to form small balls about the size of a golf ball. You should get about 9-10 sopes out of this recipe, but you can make more if you’re wanting one-bite sopes.

Step 4: Press the sopes

If you have a tortilla press, line it with 2 pieces of a Ziplock bag or wax paper. Open the press and place a ball of dough in the center. Place the other plastic piece on top and close the press down quite gently to form thick tortillas about ¼-inch.

Note: If you don’t have a tortilla press, place the dough balls between the same 2 pieces of plastic on your counter and press down with a flat baking dish or plate.

Step 5: Cook the sopes

Heat a cast-iron skillet up to medium. Then, add a sope in and cook on the first side for 60-70 seconds. Flip and cook for another 60-90 seconds, or until brown spots are forming and it’s puffing slightly.

Step 6: Pinch the edges

Remove the sope from heat and let it rest while you cook the rest. After 30-60 seconds, pull a little dough from the inner portion of the cooked sope and pinch it out to the edge to form a ridge all the way around.

Cover the sopes with a tea towel, and repeat the process until they’re all cooked.

Step 7: Fry the sopes

Shallow fry each sope for about 30 seconds on both sides, or until they turn a light gold color. Transfer the cooked sopes to a paper towel-lined plate to get rid of any excess oil.

Step 8: Assemble the sopes

First, add a layer of refried beans to the bottom of the sopes. Top each one with garnishes like salsa fresca, avocado, vegan queso fresco, vegan Mexican crema, chorizo, lime wedges, hot sauce, lettuce, etc. Happy eating!

If you have questions about how to make sopes, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

💦 What to serve with sopes

Sopes make a great snack paired along with an ice-cold and refreshing agua fresca. Here are just a few flavors to choose from:

• Agua de jamaica
• Agua de tamarindo
• Horchata
• Tejuino
• Agua de sandia

🫴 How to eat sopes

As with most Mexican antojitos, sopes are meant to be eaten with your hands. Just pick it up and eat it like you would a slice of pizza or toast.

If you’re worried about getting messy, you can always use a fork and knife!

🌡️ Storage & reheating

We don’t recommend storing sopes fully dressed in your fridge or freezer. These instructions are for how to store the corn bases:

• Keep warm: Once the sopes are cooked and pinched, cover them with a tea towel to keep warm.
• Fridge: Sopes last in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. If you don’t plan on serving them during that time, we recommend freezing them right away.
• Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 6-8 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight prior to using them.
• Reheating: Fry sopes on medium heat for 20-30 seconds per side. If you prefer these oil-free, heat each side on a dry skillet or comal.
• Make-ahead: Just like tortillas, sopes are great to make ahead of time so you can whip them up when you’re in a pinch.

Note: If possible, store your sopes prior to frying them in oil for better storage and reheating.

♻️ Variations

• Carnitas: Load your sopes with “meaty” jackfruit carnitas for a heartier version.
• Chorizo: For more protein, top the sopes with plant-based chorizo.
• Chicken: Add vegan chicken for another protein option.
• Oil-free: Try making your sopes oil-free by cooking them on a dry skillet or in an oven or air fryer instead of frying.
• Bite-sized: Make your sopes more bite-sized by portioning the dough into 14-16 pieces instead of 9-10.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Use cast iron: A cast-iron skillet or comal provides a better char and smoky flavor to the sopes. Use one if you can!
• Don’t over-flatten: Sopes are supposed to be thicker than tortillas, so don’t press down too hard. If you do, just roll it up and try again.
• The dough consistency: Depending on the climate you live in, you may need to add more or less water to your masa harina to achieve the right texture. It should be moist, but not sticking to your hands too much.
• Press the sopes: When you flip the sopes to the second side, press on them with a spatula to help them evenly cook in the middle.
• Don’t burn your hands: The sopes need to be warm when you pinch them (otherwise the dough sets). To prevent burning your fingers, you can use a towel or napkin while completing this step.
• Use masa harina: Masa harina is a specific type of corn flour that’s critical for making sopes. Don’t try to substitute it for anything else. 
• Fry the sopes: Frying the sopes is critical to achieve the crispy texture. 
• Drain them: Once you’ve fried them, drain the excess oil with a paper towel.
• Serve immediately: Sopes are best served hot. Once they’re finished, load them with toppings and serve them right away.

💬 FAQ

🍴 Similar recipes

If you enjoyed making and eating these sopes, check out some more of our favorite snacks like these:

• Crispy Black Bean Tacos: An easy weekday taco filled with a black bean mixture.
• Enchiladas Verdes: Green enchiladas stuffed with beans and cheese.
• Vegan Empanadas: Mexican empanadas made with corn dough instead of flour.
• Vegan Birria Tacos: Saucy tortillas filled with oyster mushrooms and plant-based cheese.
• Tamales: Another popular Mexican antojito served in corn husks.

Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.